Combined gas and oil burner



Aug. 23, 1932.

.w. E. GOLDSBOROUGH 1,872,930

COMBINED GAS AND OIL BI I RNER Fi led Feb. 17, 1927 WATER avwewcob W/NDER E. eowsaofiouefi Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE WINDER E. GOLDSZBOROUGH, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO IDOHERTY RESEARCH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. A CORPORATION WARE OF DELA- COMIBINED GAS AND OIL BURNER Application filed February 17, 1927, Serial No. 168,959.

This invention relates to improvements in fluid fuel burning means and'more particularly to combined gas and oil burning means so constructed and arranged that the two fuels, gas and oil, may be burned separately or together as circumstances may require.

The invention has among itsmore general objects to provide a combined oil and gas burning means which shall be simple in construction, quiet in operation and which shall not require forced draft or oil-atomizing means for its successful operation.

Another object is to provide a combined oil and gas burning means wherein the oil burner shall consist of a porous, oil-feeding member or body so arranged with respect to the gas burner that the oil passing through the said member may be vaporized prior to burning.

Another object is to provide an improved oil-feeding member of refractory material.

Another object is to provide a simple and practical method and apparatus for cleansing a porous oil-feeding burner element of carbon deposits.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description of'the invention and the various features of novelty will be set forth in the appended claims.

The single figure comprising the drawing.-

shows the preferred combinative association of elements making up the improved combined gas and oil burner, the view being a vertical central section through the apparatus.

In the drawing, 10 represents an annular base within and to which the burner elements are secured, the outer periphery of the base being of suitable configuration to permit its securement in a furnace setting as will be readily understood. Extending upwardly and inwardly from a suitable seat 12 on the base 10 is a hood 14 open at its top as indicated at 16 for a purpose which will presently appear. Positioned within the annulus or base 10 is an annular oil burner generally indicated at 18 and centrally positioned therein is a gas burner generally indicated at 20. Between the oil burner and the inner rim of the base 10 is an air passage 22 through which air flows into the hood for mixing with the oil vapors as will hereinafter be more fully explained. i

Referring now more particularly to the construction of the gas burner, it has been shown as consisting of a funnel-like member 24 surmounted by a diaphragm26 through which the gaseous mixture may pass, the mixture being formed and supplied to the burner in any suitable manner, the gas-mixture inlet being indicated at 28.

The diaphragm 26 has been shown as consisting of a wire screen and a bed of loose refractory particles resting thereon. The bed of refractory particles enables the gas burner to be used as a surface combustion burner this being the preferred'type of gas burner desired to be used in the present in- .vention. The refractory particles are prefrelatively low pressure on the gaseous mixture may be employed. As" will presently more fully appear one of the purposes of the gas burner is to initially heat an oil-feeding element that it may vaporize the oil passed 'therethrough.

However, this showing is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention but merely as an illustration of one form of suitable diaphragm through which a gaseous mixture may be readily passed while at the same time preventing back-flashing. A more or less conventional gas burner may be used, for example one having a plurality of gas discharge nozzles, but due to the high temperatures prevailing within the hood a refractory diaphragm is considered more desirable.

Referringnow more particularly to the oil burner, this preferably consists of an annular diaphragm or body 30 of porous refractory material, preferably a bonded. refractory which is sufficiently porous to permit oil to be readily passed therethrough. This dia-' phragm is mounted at the top of .a channel 32 formed in any suitable manner around and ing preferably sutficiently removed from the bottom of the channel 32 to allow a shallow body of oil to be maintained below the d1aphragm. This arrangement allows the oil to become preheated due to the surrounding hot parts thus rendering the oil more fluid and enabling it to pass more readily through the diaphragm for final vaporization.

Means are also provided for passing water through the hot diaphragm 3O primarily for cleansing the diaphragm of such carbon deposits as may accumulate therein .and thereon after protracted periods of use. The water pipe is indicated at 36. While it ls within the spirit of the invention to enter the water directly into channel 32 I prefer to provide a separate flow channel 38 which is separate and distinct from the oil channel. The water pipe 36 opens on the bottom of the channel 38 as shown. By providing a separate water channel 38 both water and oil can be passed through the diaphragm at one and the same time while the burner is functioning. The steam formed during the passage of the water through the hot diaphragm effectually dislodges carbon deposits in the interstices of the diaphragm and when the outer surface of the diaphragm is very hot the steam pass- ,ing therethrough will decompose, the oxygen uniting with the carbon to form carbon monoxide. If a separate water channel 38 is not provided the oil supply should first be cut off after which the water is entered into the channel 32 preferably while hot for the purpose of cleansing the diaphragm as aforesaid.

When the oil burner is shut off some oil may continue to exude from the diaphragm 30. The upper surface of the diaphragm is therefrom preferabl inclined so that the oil may readily run 0 suitable means being provided for receiving such oil. As shown in the drawing the incline is preferably downwardly and outwardly and an annular trough 40 is provided below the diaphragm-holding channel 32. A drain pipe 42 leads from the trough. The oil passing through the pipe 42 is conveniently discharged into a bucket 44 hung on the valve operating arm 45 of a normally open valve 46 in the oil feeding pipe 34, a spring 48 normally holding the valve open. When the weight of the oil in the bucket overcomes the tension of the spring the bucket will move downwardly and thus close the valve as will be readily understood.

The diaphragm 30 is preferably made sufficiently porous to permit the utilization of a relatively low head for feeding the oil there to and the gas diaphragm 26 is preferably made sufficiently porous to permit the gaseous mixture to pass therethrough under relatively low pressures.

The gaseous mixture supplied to the gas burner is preferably a self-burning mixture in order that the mixture may burn immediately upon issuance from the diaphragm 26. An intense heat will therefore be generated below the hood 14. Inasmuch as the oil burner 18-is also below the hood the upper surface of the oil diaphragm 30 will become highly heated with the result that the oil exuding therefrom will become volatilized and burn. The requisite amount of air for obtaining complete combustion of the oil is supplied through the annular passage 22 surrounding the oil burner. It is preferred to provide a deflector 50 above the opening 16 in the hood in order to spread the flames laterally as will be readily understood. This deflector may be supported in any suitable manner. As shown, the deflector has a downwardly extending post which is secured at the center of a grid or spider 52 within the body of the gas burner below the'diaphragm 26.

It is preferred that the oil feeding dia i phragm 30 be made relatively thin in order that the resistance offered to the flow of the oil therethrough may be reduced to a minimum. The thickness of the diaphragm must, however, be such that the under surface of the diaphragm may be maintained relatively cool in order to prevent vaporization of the oil before it enters the diaphragm. The preferred refractory material is zirconbecause of its extreme refractoriness and its poor heat conductivity. The use of a zircondiaphragm as an oil feeding means is an important feature of the invention because it enables the diaphragm to be made relatively thin with consequent reduction of resistance offered to the passage of oil therethrough. I have also found that carbon deposits on the burner face of the diaphragm and in the interstices thereof immediately below the surface do not tend to stick to-the zircon and are readily removed by water passed through the diaphragm.

The mode of operation of the combined burner will now be briefly described. The gas burner is first started in order to heat up the oil diaphragm 30 and the hood 14 preparatory to starting the oil burner. After the diaphragm 30 and hood 14 have become sufficiently hot to vaporize the oil, the oil is turned on. Thereafter the gas burner may be shut off if desired inasmuch as the heat generated by the burning oil will be suflicient to cause continuous vaporization of the oil exuded through the diaphragm 30. Under normal operating conditions, however, it is preferred to operate both the gas and oil burners at the same time. If it is desired to use the gas burner as the normal heating means and to use the oil burner only as a supplementary heating means when additional heat is demanded, it is obvious that suitable controlling means may be provided for bringing the oil burner into operation when additional heat demands sorequire.

, While the primary purpose of forcing water tended except as may be defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of a surface combustion gas burner, an oilfeeding member adjacent thereto, and a heat deflector arranged to deflect heat from said gas burner onto said oil-feeding member to vaporize the oil exuding therefrom.

2. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of a gas burner having a diaphragm through which the gases to be burned pass, an oil exuding member adjacent said diaphragm, and a heat deflector for deflecting heat from said gasburner onto said oil exuding member to vaporize the oil exuding therefrom.

v 3. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding member, a central gas burner and means for deflecting heat from said gas burner onto said oil-exuding member for vaporizing the oil exuding therefrom.

4. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of a porous refractory oil-exuding member, a gas permeable member adjacent thereto, and a heat deflector extending over both of said members for deflecting heat generated by the burning gas onto the oil-exuding member -to vaporize the oil exuding therefrom.

5. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of a porous refractory diaphragm of annular form through which oil may pass, a surface combustion gas burner positioned centrally of said diaphragm and means for deflecting heat from said gas burner onto said diaphragm to vaporize the oil passing therethrough.

6. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding member, a central diaphragm through which gas may pass for burning, said member and diaphragm being arranged in the same general plane, and a heat deflector for deflecting heat from said gas burner onto said oil-exuding member to vaporize the oil exuding therefrom.

7 In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding member, a disktype gas burner arranged centrally of said annular oil exuding member, and a cone-type hood centrally positioned over said oil-exuding member for deflecting heat from said gas burner thereonto.

8. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding member, a gas burner centrally positioned therein, and means for directing air upwardly and inwardly over the oil-exuding member.

9. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding member, a gas burner centrally positioned therein, a conetype hood centrally positioned. over said member, and means for directing air upwardly between the hood and the said member.

10. In afluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-exuding refractory member, a gas burner in'the center thereof having a porous diaphragm through which gas may pass for burning, said member and diaphragm being arranged in substantially the same general plane, an open-top cone-type hood arranged over said member and dia phragm and means for directing air upwardly between said hood and member.

. 11. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an oil-holding receptacle, a porous oil feeding member over said receptacle, a gas burner adjacent said member, a heat deflector extending upwardly and forwardly over said oil-feeding member whereby heat from the gas burner may be deflected down onto the oil-feeding member.

12. In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of an oil-feeding member consisting of a relatively thin layer ,of particles of zircon through which oil may be passed for vaporization and burning, a gas burner adjacent thereto, and means for deflecting heat from the gasburner onto said member for initially heatln it.

13. n afluid fuel burner, the combination of an annular oil-feeding burner element consisting of a porous bonded mass of zircon particles through which oil may be passed for vaporization and burning, and means for initially heating said element.

14. In combination, a porous diaphragm through which oil may be passed for burning upon a surface thereof, means providing a shallow receptacle for fluid over the top of which said diaphragm extends, a conduit opening on the bottom of said diaphragm, and separate means for introducing water, and oil below said diaphragm, one of the liquids being introduced into said conduit.

15. In a fluid fuel burner the combination of an oil feeding member, consisting of a relatively thin layer of particles of zircon through which oil may be passed for vaporization in the burner, and means for deflecting heat on said member.

16. In combination, a layer of particles of zircon through which oil may be passed for burning, means providing a shallow receptacle within and over the surface of which said layer of particles of zircon extends, a conduit opening over the bottom of said shallow receptacle, and means for introducing oil below said layer of particles of zircon through said conduit.

17 In a fluid fuel burner, the combination of a fuel exuding surface, a hood above and overlyin said surface and a second hood overtopping the first, whereby a draft passes in direct contact with said fuel exuding surface between said surface and the first hood and thence between said first and second hoods.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature.

WIND R E. GOLDSBOROUGH. 

